Microsoft Hires LinkedIn’s Kevin Scott As CTO

When Microsoft acquired LinkedIn for $26 billion, it didn’t just buy a professional network. It also bought top technical talent.

Microsoft announced on Tuesday that it has named LinkedIn’s most senior engineering executive Kevin Scott as Microsoft’s CTO. Scott will join Microsoft’s senior leadership team and will report directly to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Scott will continue to hold a role within LinkedIn as senior vice president of infrastructure and will remain on the company’s executive team.

Microsoft on Tuesday named LinkedIn’s top engineering executive as Microsoft CTO. (Getty Images)

As CTO, Scott will “drive strategic, cross-company initiatives to maximize Microsoft’s impact with members and customers,” the company said. Before joining LinkedIn, Scott worked at Google and AdMob and spent time in academia.

“We are thrilled that Kevin will bring to Microsoft his unique expertise developing platforms and services that empower people and organizations,” Nadella said in a statement. “Kevin’s first area of focus is to bring together the world’s leading professional network and professional cloud.”

Microsoft’s move is part of a broader pattern of the company giving top LinkedIn leaders key roles in the post-merger transition. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner has also joined Microsoft’s leadership team and is assuming the added responsibility of leading the merger integration efforts, at the request of Nadella. Weiner meets weekly with the transition team, which includes both Microsoft and LinkedIn executives.

To give Weiner space for his post-acquisition position, his role as head of product is being transferred to LinkedIn’s Ryan Roslanky, who most recently served as the company’s global head of consumer product. Roslansky, a well-liked manager within LinkedIn, will now serve as global head of all LinkedIn products, including business services such as Recruiter and Sales Navigator. Roslansky previously led LinkedIn’s mobile app overhaul and will continue to oversee LinkedIn’s website and Lynda.com. Weiner will still be regularly involved in product at LinkedIn moving forward, a spokesperson said.